Furnace for use in connection with machines for the manufacture of articles of glass



w. B. MITCHELL ,77 IN CONNECTION WITH MACHINES FOR THE URE 0F ARTlC 0F GLASS I iled June 30, 37 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 11, 1941.

'FURNACE FOR USE MANUFACT INVENTOR 604% w s mmzz,

Feb. 11,1941.

w. B. MITCHELL 2,231,770 FURNACE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH MACHINES FOR'THE UFAC LASS MAN T OF ARTICLES OF G Fi June 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 11, 1941 r 2,231,770

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE FURNACE FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES OF GLASS William Bell Mitchell, Bradford, England Application June so, 1937, Serial No. 151,072

" In Great Britain November 21, 1936 8 Claims. (01. 49-56) This invention relates to furnaces for. use in the rays of heat to act upon the molten glass as connection with machines for the manufacture hereinafter explained.

of articles of glass whereby said machines are Portions of the ordinary wall of the furnaces enabled, during their continuously revolving structure are indicated by the numeral 2, while motions adjacent to the said glass furnaces'to the part between the points 2a and 2b of said 5 gather or take-up molten glass'to form a bottle wall (Fig. 2) is of the formation or construction or other article without interruption of the moshown by the drawings, and is fully hereinafter tion of the machine, somewhat in a manner as described.

. has been already proposed to be followed. In carrying out my invention I now form the However, according to my present invention; gathering pool 3 within the portion of wall 20 10 I now form the gathering space or pool within (which is narrower at the part shown by the the walls of the furnace in such a manner as to drawings than is the other part of the wall 2) avoid removing the molten glass from the bulk so that said pool 3 is joined to and not in any or volume of same within the furnace in order way removed from the body of the molten glass to deprive that part or portion of such glass or metal 2d within the furnace. Consequently, 15 which enters within the gathering pool (formthe portion of molten glass which flows from ing a part of the body of the furnace) of its thebody 201 into the pool 3 is not deprived of fluidity, while I also provide means whereby any its heat to any extent which will detract detrimoil or cooled portion of glass that is cut away mentally from its fluidity as compared with the or removed from the glass-gathering members fluidityof the body of the metal. Further, I 2 to be so conveyed back into the body or volume also provide means whereby any moil or cooled of molten glass within the furnace may be there portions of glass that is or are cut away or rereheated or broughtback to its desired fluidity moved from the glass-gathering member 4 is and other conditions which prevent same from or are allowed free access to the body or volume causing defects in the resultant bottle such as of molten glass within the furnace (which is 25 had been heretofore encountered. filled with the molten glass from the furnace In carrying out my invention I make use of 2d in the same manner as is the space 3 hereina furnace provided with the new formation of before referred to) where again such cut-off ingress and adjacent formations appertaining parts are re-heated so that they cannot leave thereto hereinafter described, so that a rotary their space in the solid or semi-solid form but 30 machine may revolve in its circular path conmust be re-melted to become amalgamated with tiguous to the furnace, and certain parts of same the other molten glass.

will overhang my improved formed part of said I This liquifying and flowing of the molten furnace in the manner and for the purpose glass from the space 5 to mix with the interior hereinafter fully described. molten metal 201 of the furnace is further con- 35 In describing my invention I hereinafter refer strained so to do in order to be prevented from to the sheets of drawings hereunto annexed, ascending, or flowing in such a direction as which show the new formation I employ, and would enable it to flow around the partition 6 in which: which I form between the portions 3 and 5 of Fig. 1 is a view of a portion 'of the outside wall the furnace as shown by the drawings. 40

of a furnace where-my improved formation oc- The gathering pool 3 is in the form of a short curs. arc of a circle which lies parallel with the arc Fig. 2 is a plan of the parts'shown by Fig. 1. of the circle that the feed taking-up member 4 Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on lines of the machine follows in its circular path ac- AB of Fig. 2 and as seen in the direction indicording to the rotations of said machine in well 45 cated by the arrow associated with Fig. 2. known manner. I

. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 2 taken The outer surface 2c of the portion of the on line D-E and as seen in the direction oppofurnaces wall 2 lies in a position as to permit site to that indicated by the arrow of Fig. 2. the supports of the revolving machine which Fig. 5 is a view of the structure shown by Fig. carry the gathering member 4 freely to travel 50 2 as seen in the direction looking from left to in the arcof a circle, the path of the gathering right of said figure. member being shown by the line G-H in the Figs. 6 and 7 are elevation and plan respecarc of a circle the centre of which is the centre tively of the fractions of the wall and floor of of rotation of the machine, in order that the the furnace to illustrate how the latter directs central part of the member 4a may pass through 55 the central part of the pool 3 as well as the central part of the pool as will be understood.

The surface of the outer wall2c forming the pools 3 and 5 may extend beyond the ordinary wall 2 of the furnace but is curved to allow the passage of the supporting parts of the machine as is above described, while the inner surface of the wall at 1b is made to reach perpendicularly to the base 8 of the furnace so that the molten glass within the furnace may freely flow against said portion of the wall and within the pools 3 and 5.

The partition 6 which divides the pool 3 from the pool 5 reaches to the upper surface of the wall 2 so that a monolith or moulded portion or fire-clay block 2g may extend from the central support 6 to the wall 2 as shown by Fig. 5 in order that the lower edge of said block 2g may have a tapering portion 2h forming a recess in said monolith or block 2g to allow or form a passage over the top of the glass w for the purpose hereinafter described, while another monolith 2k extends from the end of the wall 2 also to the central pillar or partition 6 in order that its inner lower edge 2121. may lie below'the upper level or surface w of the glass 2d for the purpose hereinafter described.

As the gathering member of the machine 4 carries its central part 4a along the path shown in broken lines G-H, when it reaches the pool 3 it descends therein and commences to gather up the glass from the furnace 2d through the open surface of the pool 3, and on reaching the central pillar or partition 6 said gathering member travels through the passage over the top of said member from which it moves forward above and over the top of the glass w in the pool 5.

When the gathering member is moving over the top of the pool 5 the moil or superfluous glass that is gathered at the nozzle of said member 4 is cut off and therefore descends down into the pool 5, and in order to assist said glass thus to descend the heating flame of the furnace passes through the opening 210 to keep the upper surface of the glass in its molten condition at this part, thus affording facilities for the cut-off portion of the moil to descend within the pool and become re-melted and re-mixed with the body of the molten glass within the furnace.

To prevent the flame from the upper surface of the furnace from impinging upon the upper surface w of the glass that is contained by the pool 3 at any time, the lower edge 2112 of the monolith 2g is made to descend below the said upper surface of the glass, as is shown by Fig. 5.

The outer wall 20, which, as is hereinbefore stated, forms the outer surface of the pools 3 and 5, is strengthened by bars or rails of metal In which may be bent to the desired shape for contact with the outer surfaceof said wall 20 (the contour of which is somewhat as is shown by Fig. 2), while extending vertically crosswise said bars H] are supporting pillars l I also of metal in order to retain said horizontal bars in their respective positions desired and prevent any inner pressure of the molten glasswithin the furnace from forcing said thinner part of the wall out of position.

It will be observed that the formation of the portion of the outer wall 2, as is hereinbefore explained, permits the formation of the pools 3 and 5 to extend so as to receive the full depth of molten glass to the very base of the furnace and to reach uninterruptedly to the gathering and cutting-off surfaces hereinbefore explained.

By this arrangement, on account of not in any way separating the full volume of glass with the volume within the pools stated, I may either have the floor of the furnace perfectly horizontal as in the old style, or I may have said floor 8 of the furnace somewhat inclined as is shown by Figs. 3, 4 and 6.

When using the floor of. the furnace in its horizontal form I have found that the radiations of heat therefrom impinge upon the upper surface of the glass within the pools 3 and '5. However, whenever circumstances render it desirable I may arrange the floor to be of the inclined type stated, or I may have the inclined portions arranged annularly around the floor as is shown in broken lines Fig. 6.

These formations enable the rays of heat to be reflected from the inclined portions stated samewhat in the direction as indicated by the arrows l2, and by being thus directed the impinging of the rays upon the outer upper surface of the glass within the pools 3 and 5 keeps said glass at a desired higher temperature in order to permit the actions of gatheringcutting-oif and re-melting which I wish to secure, and by the central partition 6 acting as a division between the pools 3 and 5 the portions of glass cut-01f become remelted in their descent and they are not found to move rearwardly so as to enter the pool 3, but on account of the actions of the whole volume of glass said portions which are being re-melted flow away and leave the gathering pool 3 entirely free thereof, while the surface of the glass at w in said pool '3 is more freely and efficiently acted upon by reason of all prior interruptions by the formations of supporting projections to secure the original style of gathering space used in former constructions. 1

Instead of forming the floor of the furnace of the inclined formation described I may have hollow or concave portions M of the floor opposite the positions where the pools 3 and 5 are situated so that the rays of heat reflected by the concavity inthe floor may reflect and concentrate the rays of heat so as to impinge upon either the full depth of the metal within each pool or Within the upper portions of same Where the gathering and cutting-off actions take place when occasion for same may be found advantageous. Such being the nature and object of my said invention, what I claim is:

1. A glass melting furnace for use in connection with a suction gathering machine, consisting of a melting chamber having an arc-shaped pool exposed adjacent the forward confining wall thereof, a glass submerged partition located substantially intermediate the ends of said pool and an arc-shaped monolith supported on said partition and said wall and having its lower edge projecting downwardly below the normal level of glass within said chamber and said pool and constitu ing a confining wall for said pool, such pool being in open communication with said melting chamber throughout substantially the entire vertical extent of said chamber.

2. A glass melting furnace for use in connection with a suction gathering machine, consisting of a glass melting chamber having part of its floor inclined to the horizontal and with the deepest portion of said chamber located substantially adjacent the front Wall thereof and having an arc-shaped pool exposed immediately adjacent such front wall, a glass submerged partition extending rearwardly from such front wall and dividing such pool into two substantially equal communication with such their entire parts both in open chamber throughout substantially vertical extent.

3. In a glass melting furnace for use in connection with a suction gathering machine, a glass melting chamber deepest adjacent the forward confining wall thereof andhaving an arc-shaped pool exposed adjacent such forward wall, a glass submerged partition dividing said pool into substantially equal parts and means projecting downwardly below the surface of the glass within said chamber and said pool for separating the surface of one such part from the surface of the main body of glass contained within such chamher.

4. In a glass melting furnace for use in connection with a glass gathering machine, a glass melting chamber having different depths and having at least one substantially vertical confining wall, which on its chamber side is provided with two contiguous exposed pool forming recesses each having a depth substantially equal to the depth of the deepest part of said chamber.

5. In a glass furnace for use in connection with a glass gathering machine, a melting chamber having different depths, with at least one of its confining walls located adjacent the deepest portion thereof and having contiguous pool defining recesses located therein and which extends from the glass level line of said chamber to the bottom of the chamber, and a floor for said chamber so constructed and arranged as to reflect heat waves from said chamber and. concentrate the effect thereof at the surface of the glass within said pools.

6. In a glass furnace, a melting chamber having difierent depths in different portions thereof, a confining wall therefor located adjacent the deepest portion thereof and having a pool defining recess extending from the top to the bottom thereof and in open communication with said chamber throughout the entire vertical extent thereof, and means for reflecting heat waves from said chamber to the glass Within said recess and concentrate the same adjacent the surface of such glass.

7. In a glass furnace for use in connection with a glass gathering machine, a chamber for containing molten glass, having different depths, and having its deepest portion located adjacent one of its confining walls, recesses in said wall defining two pools which are arranged side by side and extend from the normal glass level within said chamber to the chamber bottom, and a floor for said chamber adjacent said recesses and so constructed and arranged as to reflect heat waves from said chamber and concentrate their effect at the surface of the glass within such recesses.

8. In a glass melting furnace for use in connection with a glass gathering machine, a glass melting chamber having atleast one substantially vertical confining wall and a floor inclined to the horizontal and with its lowest part adjacent such wall; the construction and arrangement being such that heat rays from the interior of the chamber are convergingly reflected by said floor toward the surface of the glass within said chamber at a point adjacent said wall.

WILLIAM BELL MITCHEEL: 

